RAAF Airbus A330MRTT A39-003 - First NZ visit

Royal Australian Air Force Airbus A330MRTT A39-003 made its first NZ visit earlier this week making a brief appearance at Auckland 28 July arriving from and returning to Amberley as ASY638. No doubt the A330 was operating in support of NZDF activities at the conclusion of joint military exercises in Australia with the aircraft operating to an airbridge gate at Auckland International.

First Timers

In addition to the earlier reported movements of Mustang VH-KJG, NZ had two first time visitors from Australia 29 July. 

Crown Casino have now taken delivery of the three Global Express they had ordered and VH-CCX made its first foray across the Tasman Sea briefly visiting Auckland arriving from and returning to its Melbourne base. VH-CCX was delivered to Melbourne on 07 June while VH-CCV arrived 26 March (first NZ visit 05 April) and VH-CCD (yet to visit NZ) arrived 03 July. 

Arriving at Auckland, Aircraft Services photo

Jetcity Learjet 45 VH-LJQ was delivered to Australia in February this year arriving at Port Hedland from Halim on the 17th. This XR edition was built in 2005 and delivered to Gold Air International in January 2006. It retained its UK markings but changed ownership a couple of times during the following four years before being registered in Portugal as CS-DTM in November 2010. 

VH-LJQ arrived at Napier from Essendon well after dark 29 July. 

Cirrus SR20 ZK-LDV exported

Whangarei based Cirrus SR20 ZK-LDV has been cancelled from the NZ register today as exported. Owner Lance Weller and his wife decided last year that they would return to Australia having moved to NZ in early 2012. Then marked as VH-LDV the Cirrus arrived at Whangarei on 12 January 2012 and flew under its Australian markings until taking up ZK-LDV in May 2013. Lance spearheaded the introduction of http://angelflightnz.co.nz/ to our country.

ZK-LDV departed Kerikeri for Norfolk Island 20 July 2015 and was noted at Port Vila two days later. On 24 July it flew from Santo to Honiara then from Gurney to Port Moresby 26 July. It briefly called in at Cairns 27 July arriving from Port Moresby and departing for Bowen and was then spotted flying from Townsville to Bundaberg and Archerfield 28 July.

On the subject of Cirrus, and balancing the numbers in NZ, SR22 ZK-LDY was registered to B B Aviation of Fielding earlier this month. This aircraft arrived in the country as VH-ZDL on 01 March arriving at Kerikeri from Lord Howe Island. It then headed south, presumably for Fielding.
The NZ population of Cirrus now stands at 1 SR20 and 7 SR22.

Virgin Australia visits Hawkes Bay Airport

Hawkes Bay/Napier airport hosted a Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 earlier this month with VH-YIQ arriving on a charter flight 23 July from Melbourne via Wellington as VOZ9014 (for the Tasman sector) and VOZ9015 carrying the Melbourne Storm NRL team who were in town to play against the St George-Illawarra Dragons.

It departed Napier on its return to Melbourne via Wellington 26 July.

This is the first visit by a -800 series 737 to the airport and follows the first visit by a BBJ back in April this year.

A photo of VH-YIQ at Napier can be found HERE

NZ's Fourth Citation Mustang delivered

New Zealand's Cessna 510 Citation Mustang population has grown to four with the arrival earlier this week of High Sierra Edition 2012 model VH-KJG c/n 510-0398. The very low timed jet arrived at Wellington from Bankstown via Sydney 28 July and it flew to Auckland 29 July.

http://www.aviationtrader.com.au/adverts/cessna-citation-mustang/

The Cessna Citation Mustang "High Sierra Edition" is a special, limited run Mustang that features a special livery and upgraded exterior and interior.
It also has enhanced cockpit features such as synthetic vision technology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaefajxNU7Q

VH-KJG was delivered to M & G Hoskings Sales PTY of New South Wales in February 2012 and arrived at Bankstown from Bali via Broome and Alice Springs on the 23rd of that month.

Arriving at Auckland 29 July, Aircraft Services photo

Off Air

It is that time of year where the blog goes quiet - albeit for a slightly shorter period of time than on previous occasions so we will be back in a couple of weeks. 

In the meantime, we'll leave you with this image to ponder.............. 

Corporate Corner

A gaggle of jet movements to report having been noted over the last week:

Skyline's Beechjet/Nextant 400XTi ZK-NXJ has made a couple of trips to the islands with a run from Auckland to Suva and back 08 July following by an early morning flight from Auckland to Apia 10 July returning southbound to Hamilton via Tonga that evening. It subsequently positioned back to Auckland that night.

French Navy Falcon 20 Gardian 72 arrived at Auckland 08 July and conducted a training detail/patrol flight 09 July before heading overseas 10 July.

The Beech King Air 350 F-OZEN departed Auckland for Noumea 09 July.

Pacific Jets Citationjet CJ4 ZK-PGA made a return trip from Auckland to Nadi and back 10 July.

Jetcity had two of their jets visit Auckland 10 July. Citation X VH-XCJ arrived from and returned to Essendon while Learjet 35A VH-LJJ arrived from Adelaide and Sydney. It then carried onto Rarotonga where it overnighted before making its way back to Auckland via Tonga 11 July then onto Melbourne and Adelaide.

Revesco Gulfstream 4 VH-TXS departed Christchurch 11 July for Essendon.

BAA Jet Management Gulfstream G550 N888HK arrived at Queenstown early afternoon 11 July from Hong Kong, the passengers and crew would have had a rude shock having left 30+ degrees and arriving to a 2 degree Queenstown!

Perth based Hawker 800XP VH-RIU, operated by Nantay PTY, arrived at Queenstown 12 July from Melbourne. After a few hours on the ground the snazzily painted jet flew to Westport for a less than one hour transit before continuing onto and overnighting at Nelson.

Marcplan Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP arrived at Auckland last evening from Essendon.

Grand Caravan N988BA

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan N988BA arrived at Auckland on the evening of 13 July concluding its delivery flight from the USA to Great Barrier Airlines. This aircraft, c/n 208B-2089, has most recently been operated by Bering Air based out of Nome, Alaska. It flew from Nome to Anchorage 23 June then to Ketchikan and Renton the following day. Onto Portland, Carson and North Las Vegas for ferry tank installation 25 June before making the short hop to Merced then onto Hilo arriving 11 July after a 13hr 40min flight. It then flew to Pago Pago 12 July in 14hr 53min before its last long haul leg to Auckland.

This morning it made the short hop to Ardmore where it was inducted for pre service maintenance with Hawker Pacific.

Citationjet CJ4 F-ONCP

Delivered to Noumea Renting SARL in September 2014 is the Citationjet CJ4 F-ONCP. It replaced a frequent visitor to NZ, the smaller Citationjet CJ2+ F-ONYY which left the region in March this year.

F-ONCP was not noted flying (internationally) until 02 April when it flew from Magenta to the Gold Coast then back to Noumea. It has since then flown a couple of dozen trips to Australia and is yet to visit our shores.

It did make an interesting trip these last few days flying from Magenta to Cairns and Darwin 10 July with plans to fly onto Bali being cancelled due to the volcanic activity nearby. It departed Darwin for Juanda, Indonesia 11 July and then flew south again arriving at Broome, Western Australia, from Singapore/Seletar 12 July where it was photographed arriving. After less than an hour on the ground the CJ4 pushed onto the Gold Coast where it subsequently overnighted before flying home to Magenta via Noumea's international airport at La Tontouta 13 July.

In COD We Trust - C-2A Greyhound 50th Anniversary Video VRC-30 Providers

I stumbled across this short video and thought it worth sharing. Australia is hosting at least two of these sturdy beasts with 162170 and 162172 trundling around the continent since turning up at Townsville from Port Moresby 11 June. They've since migrated north to Darwin.

http://ybbn.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/us-navy-additional-movements-yesterday.html
http://ybbn.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/us-navy-c-2-greyhound-162172.html

Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZE

11 July marked the one year anniversary since Air New Zealand's first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, ZK-NZE, arrived at Auckland on its delivery flight from Paine Field as ANZ6789. The Dreamliner went on to carry out a number of proving flights with its first trip away from Auckland conducted on 25 July with a journey to Sydney and back as NZ6021/6022. Three days later it flew a training detail from Auckland to Ohakea and back and then 31 July it flew to Christchurch and back. Its first revenue flight was conducted 09 August with a surprise and delight for those booked on NZ103/104 Auckland-Sydney-Auckland. The All Black livery Dreamliner has since become a common sight at Sydney, Perth, Shanghai and Narita (being the first Air NZ 787 to visit all these ports due to its special livery).

ZK-NZE has also turned up in some unexpected locations during its 12 months with the airline. It dropped into Adelaide 26 October 2014 as NZ176 from Perth to Auckland due to a medical related issue marking the first visit by a Boeing 787 to the South Australian capital. 07 December it diverted to Melbourne from Sydney as NZ105 due weather and on 10 May 2015 it made a nocturnal visit to Cairns operating as NZ90 from Narita to Auckland. 

This great shot just happened to arrive in my email yesterday afternoon post ZK-NZE arriving as NZ104 from Sydney 11 July as Eagle Airways Beech 1900D ZK-EAG headed off to Tauranga as NZ2717. 

Jonathan Rankin photo

RAAF welcomes the first C-27J Spartan

Just over three years since the order was announced,  the Royal Australian Air Force took delivery of their first C-27J Spartan late last month.
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/raaf-confirms-alenia-c-27j-spartan.html
A34-001, as ASY565, overnighted at Port Moresby 23 June arriving from Guam/Andersen in company with Lockheed C130J A97-447 which overflew PNG and continued to Cairns. The Spartan flew onto Townsville 24 June and Richmond 25 June.

For a rundown on A34-001 and future Spartan deliveries go to:
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The following video has popped up on YouTube marking the Spartan's arrival.

Falcon 900EX N446TD

D&TC LLC Falcon 900EX N446TD arrived at Wellington lunchtime 08 July from Nadi. The winglet sporting trijet had flown to Nadi the previous day from Cavern City, Carlsbad, New Mexico via a techstop at Kona, Hawaii using the callsign TWY007. 

N446TD touches down on Wellington's runway 16. 

44-hour Mission

Two United States Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing Boeing B-52H Stratofortresses recently conducted a mammoth 44-hour non stop round trip mission from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana to the Delamare Air Weapons Range local south of Darwin, and back to Barksdale. 

The aircraft, using the callsign ICON11 FLIGHT, were noted in the South Pacific region on the morning of 02 July conducting air to air refuelling with upto three KC135's - no doubt just one of a number of such air to air rendezvous conducted!

Associated news articles:

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2015/07/06/B-52-bombers-demo-long-reach-of-US-air-power/3921436204530/

http://www.ketv.com/news/b52s-return-to-offutt-after-44hour-nonstop-mission/33974768

http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123452640

File photo - B52 rests at Avalon 2011. 

Air New Zealand Dreamliners ZK-NZC and ZK-NZD

The two Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners pending delivery were both caught aviating 07 July (local USA date).

Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZD/N789FT (ZB002/MSN 41989) repositioned from Victorville, California to Paine Field as BOE002 at the conclusion of its repaint from Boeing house colours to Air NZ livery. It is set to arrive into Auckland in the third week of July. 

BOE002 preparing to depart Victorville, California - supplied. 

Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZC/N789EX (ZB001/MSN 41988) conducted a B1 flight from/to Paine Field with an intermediate stop at Moses Lake as BOE001.

It is destined for Victorville today and is due for delivery to NZ sometime in August.

Check out http://kpae.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/paine-field-july-7.html

The delivery of these aircraft will see the Dreamliner operate on all Auckland-Narita and Auckalnd-Shanghai services from 10 August.

Latest Mt Cook ATR arrives

Mt Cook Airline has taken delivery of their 18th ATR72 with ZK-MVG c/n 1264, ex F-WWEQ, arriving at Christchurch 07 July. 

This is the Air New Zealand Link carriers 7th -600 series ATR and its delivery flight, undertaken as SXI1512, saw the aircraft fly from Toulouse via Alexandria, Al Ain, Nagpur, Penang, Kupang and Brisbane.

It is anticipated the next -600 deliveries will be late this year seeing ZK-MVH and ZK-MVI turn up for entry to service in the New Year. In total 14 of the 600 series aircraft will be delivered to the Christchurch based carrier by 2017 with an additional airframe order announced at the Paris Airshow. 

ZK-MVG last month featured at the Paris Airshow where it sported rainbow props however these colourful additions were merely for the airshow. 

http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=618504

Arriving to a brisk Christchurch afternoon. 

The next aircraft for delivery to Air New Zealand is their 4th Boeing 787-9, ZK-NZD. It is reportedly due before the end of this month and was flown from Paine Field to Victorville on 09 June presumably for a repaint out of the Boeing house colours. As this post goes to air the 787-9 should be making its way back to Paine Field as BOE2
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=zk-nzd

Corporate Corner

The beginning of July has been reasonably steady for visiting jets across the country.

Our resident Gulfstream G650's have been spotted on the move with ZK-KFB arriving at Wellington from the US West Coast on 02 July and N650AB departing Auckland 04 July for Maui.

Gulfstream G550 B-8292 arrived at Queenstown direct from Shanghai 04 July marking its first visit to NZ. It departed for Sydney 06 July.

Challenger 604 VH-BLM also arrived at Queenstown 04 July from the Gold Coast and it departed for Sydney and the Gold Coast 06 July.

Another jet arrival on 04 July was that of Gulfstream 4 VH-TXS with this aircraft touching down at Christchurch from Essendon.

United States Air Force Boeing C40B/BBJ 01-0015 arrived at Wellington from Pago Pago 06 July as SPAR55.

Royal Australian Air Force Challenger 604 A37-002 arrived at Wellington from Tonga 06 July as ASY332 and after a short time on the ground continued to Canberra.

FrOZEN

Arriving at Auckland 05 July on a cold, blustery winter day was the aptly registered Beechcraft King Air 350 F-OZEN.

The recently delivered twin turboprop arrived direct from its new home of Noumea/Magenta at the hands of owner Didier Leroux who has previously operated Beechcraft King Air 300 F-GICA which has since become F-IPAC and remains registered to Didier. 

F-OZEN, c/n FL-525, has visited our shores under its previous markings - VH-PYN. It arrived at Queenstown from Sydney on 24 March 2014 then flew to Te Anau two days later before heading to Auckland and Brisbane 28 March. It was then re-registered VH-EYN to allow the PYN marks to be adorned by a Citation Sovereign which was delivered to Australia on 06 October 2014. 

VH-EYN arrived at Cairns 24 September 2014 and underwent maintenance before exiting as F-OZEN and flying to the Gold Coast 16 May 2015 then to Noumea the following day.

Retro Roo!

Finally! After a couple of false starts earlier in the year the Qantas Retro Roo has at long last made its first foray to New Zealand. Boeing 737-800  VH-XZP arrived at Auckland mid afternoon 04 July from Brisbane as QFA123 and departed 90mins later on its return journey to Brisbane as QFA126.

The jet features the livery as worn on Qantas's first Boeing 747s in 1971, most notably featuring the flying kangaroo on the tail and the ochre cheatline along the passenger windows, and is named in honour after former Qantas CEO, the late James Strong. 

VH-XZP arrived Sydney in November last year and featured at this years Avalon Airshow.

ANA Boeing 767-300 JA627A

All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-381ER JA627A arrived at Auckland early afternoon 03 July from Tonga as ANA9409 having arrived in the Friendly Islands earlier the same day as ANA1959 direct from Tokyo/Haneda carrying Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako to the occasion of Tongan King George Tupou VI coronation being held today.

There has been a flurry of activity to Tonga with additional scheduled flights conducted by Air New Zealand over the last 10 days culminating in three Boeing 767-300 services between Auckland and Tonga 03 July with ZK-NCJ operating NZ270/273 and ZK-NCG operating NZ272/275/274/277!

Also, Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 NZ7572 arrived at Tonga from Wellington as KIW563 03 July along with Royal Australian Air Force Challenger 604 A37-003 from Canberra as ASY338. There was also a French military aircraft arrival early afternoon however no details available at time of posting.

JA627A departing Narita in August 2013 - Bargeld01 photo

JA627A arriving at Auckland 03 July 2015 C Hunter photo

Citation X-its the region

Christie Aviation's Cessna 750 Citation X VH-RCA c/n 750-0012 has exited the region on export to the USA. 

This once regular visitor to NZ was delivered to Australia in September 2009 and made its first visit to our shores in February 2010 making an early morning visit to Auckland on an organ retrieval flight on the 22nd. During the course of its time in Australia, VH-RCA crossed the Tasman on a number of occasions and was known to have visited Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Napier. Our last record of the high speed corporate visiting NZ was 28 November 2014 with it flying from Sydney to Auckland and back.

It departed Bankstown for Sydney, Apia and Hilo 10 May and became N712TX with the Cessna Aircraft Company on 29 June. 

VH-RCA rests at Dunedin on 13 February 2012 having arrived from Sydney. It departed back to Sydney later the same day. 

Citation X VH-XCJ continues to fly in Australia as does another example, VP-CFP. The latter has sat idle at Bankstown, Sydney,  for several months but flew to the Gold Coast in late June. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/berniep/15338566847

Queenstown International Airport Terminal extension officially opened

The recently completed extension to the Queenstown International Airport Terminal was officially opened at a private ceremony last night - exactly 20 years since the first scheduled international airline service arrived and departed the now bustling tourist airport.

For news article and photos check out:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/69807773/queenstown-airport-prepares-for-busiest-day-on-record

On the day of the official opening (01 July) the following scheduled international services were conducted:

Air New Zealand Airbus A320 ZK-OJD from/to Sydney NZ832/831

Air New Zealand Airbus A320 ZK-OJO from/to Melbourne NZ865/864

Qantas Boeing 737-800 ZK-ZQC from/to Sydney QF121/122

Qantas Boeing 737-800 ZK-ZQD from/to Brisbane QF185/186

Jetstar Airbus A320 VH-VQF from/to Sydney JQ223/224

Jetstar Airbus A320 VH-VFJ from/to Melbourne JQ219/220

Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 VH-YIS from/to Brisbane VA116/117

As a contrast, and with thanks to the records of Falcon135 and the Aviation Historical Society of NZ publication Aerolog, the first scheduled international service was flown by Air New Zealand Boeing 737-219 ZK-NAT on 01 July 1995 arriving at Queenstown from Sydney as NZ222 with the airline marketing the new seasonal route the "Snow Express" running over an initial 12 week period. The same jet operated the first Brisbane-Queenstown run on 02 July 1995. 

From the spring of 1998 the international services to Queenstown by Air New Zealand became year round using Boeing 737-300 equipment. 

They're All White.....

A couple of all white turbines here and there in recent days. 

First up we have the first Pacific Aerospace 750XL to exit New Zealand by air for 2015 in the shape of ZK-KCP c/n 191. Registered to the manufacturer on 16 June it departed Hamilton for Kerikeri 27 June and carried onto Norfolk Island and Brisbane the following day before pushing north to Cairns (where it seen here) on the 29th. It flew onto Darwin 30 June then to Bali 01 July.

Arriving Cairns. 

Secondly we have a 1970 edition Beechcraft 65-A90-4 N96Y c/n LU-4. It is registered to Dynamic Avlease Inc of Bridgewater, Virginia and was first noted dipping its nose into our region on 29 May arriving at Honolulu from Monterey (local USA date). It then flew south to Christmas Island 02 June and onto Papeete 03 June from where it flew 28 June to Rarotonga and Apia (arriving 29 June local date).

This aircraft has had a US military past with records indicating it flew on behalf of the Army as a Beechcraft RU-21H Ute tail number 70-15882. 

It took up the marks N7199J in early 1999 and was last noted in storage at Muskogee-Davis Field, Oklahoma! 

FAA records inform us the aircraft is classed as a Standard-Restricted and category "Aerial Surveying" and that it is fitted with a temporary ferry fuel system. 

Arriving Rarotonga.